Rent an RV for almost free

Feb. 11, 2014

Updated 3:53 p.m.

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Ann Parrack of Rancho Santa Margarita, on her 2013 spring vacation. She and her husband Wayne drove an Apollo RV for $1 a day, as part of a spring promotion designed to get the company's stock from its factory in the Midwest to its main rental outlets in the Western U.S. ANN PARRACK

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The Apollo RV that Ann and Wayne Parrack of Rancho Santa Margarita drove for $1 a day, as part of a spring promotion. ANN PARRACK

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Ann Parrack of Rancho Santa Margarita, on her 2013 spring vacation. She and her husband Wayne drove an Apollo RV for $1 a day, as part of a spring promotion designed to get the company's stock from its factory in the Midwest to its main rental outlets in the Western U.S.

Ann Parrack of Rancho Santa Margarita, on her 2013 spring vacation. She and her husband Wayne drove an Apollo RV for $1 a day, as part of a spring promotion designed to get the company's stock from its factory in the Midwest to its main rental outlets in the Western U.S. ANN PARRACK

More tips to save money:

PIZZA DEALS Did you know that you can have pizza delivered virtually anywhere – to your motel room or even a campground? I once saw one being delivered to the ranger at Bryce Canyon National Park. This is a great convenience, especially with kids. And it's usually a lot cheaper than your hotel's room service. Sign up for email clubs like Pizza Hut, Dominos or Papa Johns and then use the wi-fi to log on and order your pizza at a steep discount with their deals.

READER TIP from Michelle Q: (I love this!) On road trips, we call for our hotel rooms while in route. We tell them we want a serious discount. I've gotten rooms for $50 that are over $300 because they would rather have a body in there – and make a little – instead of nothing. Our vacations are normally picking places on a map and driving there. Each kid gets to pick a place and then we head there.

Want to learn how to travel like a cheapskate? Or save money on luxury trips? Well, keep your eyes out for my new Cheapo Travel column that starts today.

I’m addicted to going places but allergic to high prices, so I’m always out there looking for the best deals. In fact, you may be familiar with my deals column that runs in Sunday’s local section, or read my humor columns on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Each week, I plan to highlight one particular way to save money, and maybe throw in a couple of deals at the end. If you know how to get an amazing travel deal, tip me off and I’ll mention you by name if I use it!

This week, I want to tell you about this incredible RV deal, even though it’s going to hurt me. Occasionally, travel writers really don’t want to give away their secrets, and this is one of them, because I want to do it myself.

Apollo Motorhome Holidays is the world’s largest privately owned RV operator that rents out RVs in the USA, Australia and New Zealand.

So why do you care? Because they manufacture their U.S. rentals in the midwest over the winter, and then they will let you to drive them west in the spring for only $1 per day –including mileage.

They might even kick in money for gas.

After I wrote about this last year in my deals column, Ann Parrack of Rancho Santa Margarita jumped on board.

She and husband Wayne flew to the factory in Indiana (at their own expense) and picked up the brand-spanking-new RV for $1 a day, including mileage.

They drove it to Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota, stopped by the mammoth Mall of America in Minnesota, and turned it in 13 days later in San Francisco.

They had a great time and can’t wait to do it again. Altogether, with overnight camping fees, gas and other expenses, she estimates their vacation cost them $1,000, which is nothing if you’ve ever priced how much it normally costs to rent these behemoths.

If you go in March or April, the company will even reimburse you up to $500 for gas, and even the cost of a taxi from the airport to their factory. The deal’s available in May, but no gas reimbursement.

“I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” Ann told me. She’s hoping next time to bring her grandkids. “They even provided the linens and dishes.”

Apollo needs hundreds of drivers in the spring, but by summer they’re starting to rent them out.

Drop-off destinations include L.A., San Francisco, Denver and Las Vegas. They give you around two weeks to get there. You’ll need a credit card as a deposit.

I’m simply yearning to do this myself, but the schedule doesn’t work with my teenagers’ school schedule this year, sad to say. Stupid kids.

This year, the RVs need to be picked up in Iowa, rather than Indiana. They are Star Taurus vehicles, 22-25 feet long. You can expect to get 10-12 mpg, the average mileage when you’re driving a house. Maximum occupancy is four people.

And note that you can do this in Australia and New Zealand, too! Get yourself down there and drive a free RV to see the country.

If you can’t do this deal, you can rent these RVs in the spring for half price. Check the website for details.

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